Kansas gym bans cable news channels

LENEXA, Kan. (WDAF) -- There's a fitness center in the metro taking the "No Spin Zone" to a whole new level. Twenty-four-hour cable news stations, like CNN and FOX News, are no longer allowed on the TV monitors at the gym.

Members of the gym say they were told it's to cut down on friction and political arguments, but at least two members told FOX 4 that they didn't sign up for this change.

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Judith Zillner is longtime member at Element Fitness in Lenexa. She raves about it.

"Oh, I love the gym! I love the manager, all of the programs," she said.

But the new policy has her fired up.

"That's not what my dad fought for at all," she said.

The gym's manager was unavailable for an interview, but an employee here told FOX 4 the new policy is intended to cut down on arguments and drama.

Here`s what someone told Zillner:

"Some people got up and pulled the plugs. And then they said `worse than that has happened`. And I said, 'What?' 'We can`t say,'" she said. "We must not get like it is in Iraq and Iran where the Shia and Sunni fight each other to the death over differences of belief."

"I don't like to be obstructed in my own great environment, that I'm paying for," new gym member Leslie Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez and Zillner agree that even while working out, people should be able to tolerate news and opinion that doesn't match their own world views.

"If there`s four televisions sets, surely one of them will have something you like. And you shouldn't get to say the other three can't have what the other people like," Zillner said. "Jerking the plug out of the wall!? That's just silly."

FOX 4 also reached out to some of the major chains, like Planet Fitness and Lifetime Fitness, to see if either had a "no cable news" policy. So far we have not heard back.

But the YMCA of Greater Kansas City told us it has no bans on any TV stations at the 14 different branches in the metro.